Hotchkiss Type Universal
The Hotchkiss "type Universal" is a submachine gun manufactured in France after World War II. It was originally designed as a semi-automatic police carbine, but a full automatic version was made. It fires from a closed bolt. Its most notable feature is that it folds up into a very compact package and unfolds easily and relatively quickly.
Also recorded as Hotchkiss semi-automatic
Hotchkiss Type Universal
Mohit S from Mumbai, India · Hotchkiss Universal SMG. · CC BY 2.0
- Name
- Hotchkiss Type Universal
- Field
- submachine gun
- Region
- France
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Documentary evidence
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wikidata · Q5911071 · wikipedia · Hotchkiss Type Universal
In this article
Overview
Overview
The semi-automatic version was exported in very limited numbers to many countries. Many were also exported to Venezuela and Morocco.
Hotchkiss Universal in violin case
Avron
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Hotchkiss Type Universal • Origin — France • Type — Submachine gun • Is Ranged — YES • Design Date — 1949 • Manufacturer — Hotchkiss et Cie • Variants — semi-automatic, full automatic • Cartridge — 9×19mm Parabellum • Caliber — 9mm • Barrels — 1 • Action — Blowback • Feed — 30/32 round box magazine • Sights — Iron
Users
Users
• France: Used by police; issued to foreign legionnaires in Indochina for field testing • Morocco • Venezuela
Conflicts
Conflicts
• Indochina War • Soviet-Afghan War
Places
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Places
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- France
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Hotchkiss Type Universal, revision 1339503925 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
References
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Secondary witness
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Connections
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Broader subject
1- submachine gunTerminology
Established from a fact already recorded on a verified source.
The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 14 August 2026.
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